1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of supporting racks used to secure loads within a truck bed. More specifically, the present invention concerns a holding rack that is shiftably mounted to a truck tailgate to be storable next to the tailgate and extendable above the tailgate to support a load.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Automobiles often provide an external storage area for hauling various loads. Pick-up trucks in particular usually provide a truck bed to serve this function. In their usual form, truck beds include a floor with fixed sidewalls extending above the floor and a tailgate that acts as a sidewall but may be opened to provide access to the truck bed. Therefore, the truck bed normally provides a partially enclosed space for hauling various loads. However, this space often requires the use of additional equipment in order to safely and securely organize a load within the truck bed.
The after-market automotive product industry offers a broad range of products for use with pick-up trucks. In particular, some of these products work with the truck bed to organize or secure loads relative to the truck bed, but these products have several limitations. One limitation is that these organizers are bulky and fill a significant amount of space within or above the truck bed, even when the user is not hauling a load. Another limitation of prior art organizers is that they are difficult to use. Loads commonly shift during transportation and this shifting sometimes causes the securing mechanism (e.g., ratchet straps, chains, etc.) to become loose and ineffective at securing the load. This also makes the prior art organizers time consuming to use because a user must anticipate how a load will shift during transport and therefore must consider how best to secure it. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved organizing device for use with truck beds that does not suffer from these problems and limitations.